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CPFL Draft
The CPFL Draft is an annual sports draft in which CPFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players. Draft Procedure and Rules The CPFL Draft has had to move into large venues as the event has gained in popularity, drawing fans from across the country who are looking for a reason to paint their faces in April. Tickets are free, but long waits in line can be expected for fans hoping to get a live glimpse of their team's high-profile picks, or to express their displeasure at their team picking the "wrong" guy. Fans must arrive early in order to attend the draft. The current format consists of seven rounds. Each team is assigned a selection in each round, with the team with the worst record from the previous year being assigned the first pick in each round. The team with the second-worst record gets the second pick, and so on (with ties broken by strength of schedule) until the Super Bowl participants are reached, with the team that lost the game picking next to last, and the winner picking last. The first overall pick generally gets the richest contract, but other contracts rely on a number of variables. While they generally are based on the previous year's second overall pick, third overall, etc., each player's position also is taken into account. Quarterbacks, for example, usually command more money than offensive linemen, which can skew those dollar figures slightly. Each team has its representatives attend the draft. During the draft, one team is always "on the clock". In Round 1, teams have 15 minutes to make their choice. The decision time drops to 10 minutes in the second round and to 5 minutes in Rounds 3-7. If a team doesn't make a decision within its allotted time, the team still can submit its selection at any time after its time is up, but the next team can pick before it, thus possibly stealing a player the late team may have been eyeing. Compensatory Picks In addition to the 40 picks in each round, there are a total of up to 32 picks dispersed at the ends of Rounds 3 through 7. These picks, known as "compensatory picks", are awarded to teams that have lost more talented players than they gained the previous year in free agency. These picks cannot be traded, and are awarded based on a proprietary formula based on salary and performance. So, for example, a team that lost a backup quarterback€ in free agency might get a sixth-round compensatory pick, while a team that lost their best wide receiver might receive a third- or fourth-round pick. If fewer than 40 such picks are awarded, the remaining picks are awarded in the order in which teams would pick in a hypothetical eighth round of the draft. Eligibility The draft is the first chance each team gets at players who have been out of high school for at least three years. Players whose high school class did not graduate three or more years before are not eligible for the draft and hence are not eligible to play in the CPFL. Most drafted players come directly out of college programs as seniors or juniors, though some underclassmen are drafted. A player who is drafted, but does not sign a contract can sit out that season, which is referred to as a "hold out", and can re-enter the draft the following year. Supplement Draft In late summer, the CPFL also holds a Supplemental Draft to accommodate players who did not enter the regular draft because they thought they still had academic eligibility to play college football. Draft order is determined by a weighted system that is divided into three groupings. First come the teams that had six or fewer wins last season, followed by non-playoff teams that had more than six wins, followed by the 12 playoff teams. In the supplemental draft, a team is not required to use any picks. Instead, if a team wants a player in the supplemental draft, they submit a "bid" to the Commissioner with the round they would pick that player. If no other team places a bid on that player at an earlier spot, the team is awarded the player and has to give up an equivalent pick in the following year's draft. Events leading up to the Draft CPFL Scouting Combine The CPFL Scouting Combine is a three-day showcase, occurring every February in Buffalo, Orchard Park's St. John Fisher College, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of CPFL coaches, general managers and scouts. With increasing interest in the CPFL Draft, the scouting combine has grown in scope and significance, allowing personnel directors to evaluate upcoming prospects in a standardized setting. Its origins have evolved from the National, Blesto and Quadra Scouting services in 1980, to the media frenzy it has become today. Tests/evaluations include: *40 yard dash *Bench press *Vertical jump *Broad jump *20-yard shuttle *three-cone drill *60-yard shuttle *Position-specific drills *Interviews *Physical measurements *Injury evaluation *Drug screen *The Cybex test *The Wonderlic Test Athletes attend by invitation only. Implications of one's performance during the combine can affect perception, draft status, salary and ultimately his career. The draft has popularized the term Workout Warrior, whereby an athlete, based on superior measurables such as size, speed and strength, have increased their "draft stock" despite having a possibly average or subpar college career. Pro Day Each university has a pro day, where CPFL scouts are allowed to come and watch players participate in the events that take place at the Combine at their own school. This is done as it is believed that players feel more comfortable at their own campus than they do at the Combine and therefore should perform better. Major college teams like Florida State, USC, Ohio State, Miami (Fla), and Texas, which all produce a large quantity of CPFL prospects, generate huge interest from scouts and coaches at their pro days